Managing Competition Through Barriers to Entry and Channel Availability in the Changing Regulatory Environment

In this article, we explore factors that influence the number of broadcasters in a market and the achievement of optimal outcomes in broadcast markets.We explore a range of barriers to entry and means of overcoming those barriers in broadcast markets.We argue that choices regarding and influences on barriers to entry and channel availability act as forms of competition management in broadcast markets. Policymakers and regulators indirectly influence markets by altering the effects of those barriers and directly influence market activities by making decisions regarding the number of competitors, market structures,and-indirectly-the financial performance of broadcasters. We argue that barriers to entry can be controlled to produce competition levels and market outcomes that promote optimal social and economic outcomes.